Cooking: What To Eat On a Hot Day -- Korean-Style Sashimi Bowl

One of my favorite easy, simple and healthy meals when temperatures rise outside is hoedupbab, which is similar to a sashimi bowl (rice topped with sashimi) but with a Korean twist, aka spice.

I like to use tuna sashimi that's usually purchased from a Korean or Japanese market. I make some rice (I do regular white or brown rice when I'm feeling extra healthy). Then I top the rice and chopped sashimi with some sliced cucumbers and thinly sliced perilla leaves. Red leaf lettuce and another type of aromatic green often used in Korean cooking, sootkat, are optional.

The key is the sauce. Depending on your tolerance for spice, mix about one tablespoon of Korean red pepper paste (kochujang) with about 1/2 a tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1/2 a tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds (ideally toasted but not necessary) and a tablespoon of agave for sweetness. It should be the consistency of maple syrup.

Then work your arm muscles to mix, mix and mix evenly.

Here's a sample of what it looks like before and after you mix it up.


Enjoy!